The Love Between a Wizard and a Muggle
by K. M. Iwancio
Summary: The famous wizard Harry Potter finds summer love with Krystina. The catch? SHE'S A MUGGLE! How will the wizarding world react?
1. 4 Privet Drive

Krystina Gulic sighed as she watched the blur of trees go by from her seat in the back of the car. Her parents were in their own world, busily discussing the directions to the house of the dinner party. Nimble fingers plucked at some invisible fuzz from her skirt. Her parents had said that the family had a son her age. So, in hopes of meeting a new guy, she primped herself to the extreme.  
  
Mr. Gulic was planning on expanding his power tool company to other countries, with England being his first stop. The family was now residing in a local hotel as they looked for a home in the area, in hopes of being around to help start up the company. The family who invited the Gulic's to dinner was obviously hopeful to have some kind of business deal with the new company moving in.  
  
The car slowed to a stop in front of a quaint little house that matched all of the others on the street. Her long eyelashes blinked over her deep, gray eyes as they peered through the glass of the car window and into the dusk. Mr. and Mrs. Gulic both rose from their seats while they chatted lightly, Mrs. Gulic fixing Mr. Gulic's tie so he looked more presentable after the long car ride. Krys rose from her seat and closed the car door behind her, shouldering her purse against her dressy shirt. She followed her parents up to the wooden door.  
  
"Ah, the Gulics! How lovely to see you! Come in! Come in!" The man who answered the door was a pudgy, stout fellow with a bristly mustache that seemed to be taking over his upper lip beneath his bulbous nose. Krys assumed that this was Mr. Dursley himself, the one who wished to make some sort of business deal with her father. She put on a polite smile and followed the group into the town house. Inside the tacky, green-carpeted foyer was a rather chubby teenage boy, dressed in a gray suit and red bow- tie. Krys bit her lip in front of her true smile, trying not to laugh at the sorry excuse for a love interest that her parents had picked out for her.  
  
Krys shook Mr. Dursley's hand and smiled sweetly to Dudley when they were all introduced properly. The Gulic's then followed Mr. Dursley into the sitting room where there was Mrs. Dursley. She was the only one who looked relatively normal within the Dursley household. Her voice was rather elegant which mismatched her aged face that looked worn from years of yelling or worrying. Mrs. Dursley wore a cute, little, frilly apron against her cocktail dress that made her instantly look homier.  
  
"Sit down and make yourselves comfortable." Mr. Dursley had a powerful voice that was good for yelling. Noting the obedience of Dudley, Krys suspected that Mr. Dursley had bellowed a lot over the years. Both families chatted throughout dinner; mostly it was Mr. Dursley and Mr. Gulic talking avidly about their businesses. Dudley kept staring nervously in Krys's direction. Both of the misses were chatting about recipes and motherhood, among other things. 


	2. When Harry Met Krys

After dinner, the group had settled back into the sitting room, chatting over tea and cookies, compliments of Mrs. Gulic. Krys was letting her eyes wander around the room, taking in all of the obsessive pictures of Dudley that adorned the sitting area. The conversation around the room kept fading in and out as Krys lost herself within her own thoughts.  
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Dursley? Where is your bathroom?" Krys later interrupted politely, blushing slightly at asking an embarrassing question. Mrs. Dursley just smiled; glad that she could be of some use.  
  
"Upstairs and the second door on your right, dear. You can't miss it." Krys nodded with a smile of thanks and disappeared back into the hall with the tacky carpet. She wandered up the stairs, taking in the outlandish style of the rest of the house as she slowly went along. Remembering the directions that Mrs. Dursley had given her, Krys found the bathroom with no problem.  
  
As Krys washed her hands, she heard a door close to the room next to her. Shutting off the water, she quietly peeked out of the bathroom door, and down the hall. Thinking that Dudley had come upstairs, her curiosity had gotten the better of her as she stood before the door with about a dozen locks down the side. Furrowing her brows she leaned forward and knocked quietly on the door as she pushed it open.  
  
"Dudley...? Why did you..."  
  
"Aunt Petunia I am..." A sour English accent came from the room beyond. Krys's eyes went wide as she peered upon a mop-haired young man with round glasses upon his strong nose.  
  
"Who are you?" exclaimed both teenagers at the same time. The young man blinked curiously upon the pretty girl while his fingers absentmindedly stroked the breast of his snow white owl.  
  
"Uh...I...I'm Krystina. And...uh...my family is here having dinner with yours. But...what are you doing up here?"  
  
"Mine's Harry. And I hardly consider them," He gestured with a nod of his head to the downstairs. "My family. I'm just a cousin."  
  
Krys narrowed her eyes in thought as she took in the situation. It seemed fishy, but nothing too serious. Distracting her further was the peculiar pet atop of Harry's desk.  
  
"Is that owl yours?" She asked cautiously, hoping that Harry didn't find her a stalker or anything.  
  
Harry smiled and looked down to the large owl next to him who seemed to ruffle her feathers at the attention she was receiving. "Yeah, this is Hedwig." The lovely and rather proper bird gave a hoot, encouraging Harry to continue introducing her. "She's the friendly sort, as long as you're polite to her." The pretty owl nipped playfully at Harry's stroking fingers, seeming to thank him for the flattery.  
  
"Do you think she'd let me pet her?" Krys asked with a soft smile of delight as she took slow steps forward, moving her body closer to Harry and his bird.  
  
"Um...uh...sure, you can." Harry gulped and felt a flush rise to his cheeks. There was a pretty girl in his bedroom, and a muggle! Smiling cautiously she reached out and followed the lay of Hedwig's feathers, stroking downwards with a few fingers. The owl gave a soft flutter of her wings and Harry nervously chuckled. "It seems that she likes you."  
  
Krys gave Hedwig a few more reassuring strokes before glancing back up to Harry and letting her eyes quest about his room in a nonchalant kind of way. Harry's room was quite lacking the flamboyant character that the rest of the house so far had displayed. It seemed like an ordinary teenage boy's room. Slightly messy with clothes in random heaps. His corkboard was unorganized, full of scraps of paper and his school memorabilia.  
  
"Is that where you go to school...?" Krys asked gesturing to the burgundy and gold banner tacked to his wall. Harry nodded uneasily.  
  
"Yeah...it's some kind of boarding school. I just come home for the summer."  
  
"I suppose you must like it there since you pretty much brought it home with you." Krys noticed teasingly.  
  
"Yeah...well...if you had to live with the Dursleys, you would too." Harry retorted back.  
  
"I see your point." Krys said with a laugh. "I've only known that cousin of yours for a few hours and he already gives me the creeps."  
  
Harry grinned and was glad that someone at home sympathized with him about his mother's family. He had grown quite comfortable with this new girl, having just had her almost barge into his room. His mouth had just opened to add to their conversation about how horrible it was living there but Krys's mother's entrance interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Krystina! What do you think you're doing? Snooping around like a..." She couldn't finish her sentence because Harry's presence spooked her. "And who are you?"  
  
"Mom...this is Harry. Dudley's cousin."  
  
"Why aren't you downstairs with the rest of us?"  
  
"Uh...well...you see..." Harry started nervously, not wanting to share the truth with both of them. The Dursleys never invited him to any family function.  
  
"He just got back from spending a week with his friend...uh..." Krys looked to Harry for help. Harry quickly mouthed a name in response. "Ron! With Ron. Harry was just telling me all about it."  
  
Mrs. Gulic gave the pair a strange look. "I see. Well now, why don't you both come downstairs?" Both Harry and Krys nodded in reluctant agreement and followed Mrs. Gulic. 


	3. The Decision

The trio arrived downstairs where Mrs. Gulic interrupted Mr. Gulic and Dursley avidly talking about their obviously settled business deal.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley! How come you never told us that your nephew lived with you?" Mrs. Gulic smiled, not wanting to press to uncomfortably far.  
  
"Oh! My goodness! Um...Harry dear, I didn't uh...hear you come in."  
  
"Um...sorry Aunt Petunia... I didn't want to disturb you."  
  
"Of course..." Mrs. Dursley paused with a forced smile. "And Harry...mind your manners in front of our guests..." She warned with a cold look in his direction. Mr. Dursley said nothing but Krys could tell, from the look and color of his face that he was trying his hardest not to.  
  
The two families continued with their polite chatter. The two 17-year-olds were quite content to finish their earlier conversation. Harry and Krys both sat upon the brick stoop of the Dursley's fireplace. His words were only for Krys who was enveloped within his world of antics at school with his friends. Mr. Dursley took an obvious dislike to the fact that Harry was talking to the young lady who was intended for his own son, but did not say a word from behind his icy glare.  
  
Mrs. Dursley and Mrs. Gulic seemed to be getting along rather well. They were avidly discussing something that Krys had dreaded since she had first heard of her father's plans to move his company abroad. Mrs. Dursley was persuading her mother to take interest in the house that was for sale a few streets down. She thought it would be a good idea since the Gulic's had decided to make a permanent residence in England.  
  
"George, what do you think?" Mrs. Gulic looked at her husband questioningly, interrupting the rest of the group's conversions. "Surrey would be a nice place to live while you start your company overseas. Mrs. Dursley has just finished telling me how quaint it is here."  
  
Mr. Gulic was obviously still musing over the idea as both mothers continued their vivid conversation where they had left off. Krys frowned, hating any mention of staying for a few years in a country that she was not a native of.  
  
"I was just thinking about it myself. And I could think of no better place." Harry's smile was discrete as he looked upon his new neighbor with growing likeness. 


	4. Dinner Plans

The Gulic family moved into house that Mrs. Dursley had spoken of within the next few days. The Dursley's were thrilled to have neighbors who talked to them often. Krys sighed as she rolled over onto her stomach atop of her bedspread, looking through an American magazine uninterested. Her parents had invited Dudley Dursley over for dinner, again. Krys was, of course, not thrilled with the idea, especially since Dudley had a horrible habit of breathing heavily whenever he came too close to Krys. She had been crossing her fingers in hopes that her parents would give up their matchmaking plans for her.  
  
At that moment Hedwig swooped in through the window to her bedroom and landed gracefully next to Krys. The owl let out a soft hoot as she dropped a folded bit of parchment onto the closed magazine. At this point of her stay in England, she was no longer frightened by a visit from the large owl. She had grown accustomed to the unusual pet that Harry said he had trained to deliver letters and such. A delighted smile curled upon Krys's lips as she unfolded the note and read the inked words. It was another note from Harry. The two of them had been neighborhood pen pals ever since Krys had moved in. The notes from Harry had helped her with the transition of moving into her new house, and more importantly, new country.  
  
The small note brought good news. Harry wrote that Dudley couldn't make it to dinner. His boxing coach at school had just started a summer boxing camp that was that very night. Harry had expressed his delight in knowing this fact because he could have Krys all to himself for the night to talk to. Krys grinned in relief. At that moment an idea hit her. Perhaps her parents would let Harry come over for dinner instead. She enjoyed his company much more and Krys could tell from Harry's extensive letters that he liked her. She couldn't help but express the same feelings. Both were obviously developing a crush on the other.  
  
Krys jumped up from her bed and thundered down the stairs in search of her mom.  
  
"Mom! Dudley can't come to dinner tonight." Mrs. Gulic frowned in disappointment. "But um...do you think Harry could come instead?" Krys smiled pleadingly and Mrs. Gulic could tell of her daughter's fondness of Harry.  
  
"Well... I suppose..."  
  
Krys thanked her mom with a grin before she disappeared back upstairs. As always, Hedwig was patiently awaiting Krys's answer to Harry's message. The both of them were always impatient with a reply. She was perched upon the back of the room's desk chair preening her snow white feathers. Moving over to her desk swiftly, Krys pulled out a piece of notebook paper and scribbled down a reply with Harry's dinner invitation. Hedwig nipped at her fingers affectionately after receiving her routine treat before heading off to 4 Privet Drive with Harry's message.  
  
Blushing from the fluttering butterflies in her stomach, Krys got ready for dinner. This would be the first time in over a week that she had seen Harry. The Dursley's never let Harry go out of the house, only on rare occasions. Their passed letters were quite detailed, full of their personality and attraction to the other. The two had become fast friends.  
  
Krys busied herself within the confines of her wardrobe cabinet, since British houses were common to come without closets. She did want to try and take it to the next step with Harry somehow. As she applied her makeup, she contemplated her feelings for the nerdy, lanky, and very cute Harry Potter. She smoothed out her simple burgundy corduroy skirt and navy top before glancing to the shoebox in which she kept his letters. Smiling she wiggled her toes into some coordinating sandals and pulled her hair back into a tight, yet elegant ponytail. Deciding that she looked appropriate for boy-attracting material she headed downstairs. 


	5. Accidentially in Love

Krys was helping her mother set the table when the doorbell rang. She blushed in excitement before she walked down the hallway to open the door for her guest. As the door parted from the frame, it revealed a quite polished and handsome Harry. It seemed that he had dressed to impress that evening as well. He was smartly attired in a gold and burgundy striped polo and khakis, although his short hair was still cutely mussed as always. Harry said that he had inherited his father's unruly hair. Within his hands was a pretty little arrangement of tiger lilies that seemed to be wilting a little in the haziness of the summer night.  
  
"Uh...hi Krys." Harry smiled lopsidedly, adding to his sweet charm. There was a moment of shy silence as the pair looked upon each other. "Oh! Uh...Mrs. Figg said that you'd like these..." Harry said quietly as she handed the flowers over gingerly.  
  
"Oh Harry...thank you so much. They're very pretty." Krys said sincerely with a warm smile as the two walked towards the kitchen.  
  
"Hello there Harry." Mrs. Gulic smiled in greeting before eying the gift that Harry had given to her only daughter. She suddenly warmed up to Harry immensely. "How nice of you to bring flowers for Krys, Harry! It's very gentleman of you." Both Harry and Krys blushed as they side-glanced at each other. Mrs. Gulic busied herself with putting Krys's bouquet in a vase only after nudging the two off to finish Krys's task of setting the table.  
  
The two carried out the chore in quiet shyness, accidentally bumping into each other from time to time. Harry swallowed the usual uneasiness that he felt around girls and spoke first.  
  
"I'm...really glad you invited me to dinner, Krys..." Harry thanked her quietly.  
  
Krys smiled with a soft blush. "You're welcome Harry. I mean...I'd much rather be with you than Dudley..."  
  
"Doesn't surprise me. Everyone says that except my aunt and uncle." Harry grinned, always losing his shy nature around Krys.  
  
"I should have known that was coming..." Laughed Krys before she was interrupted by her mother setting the food upon the simply dressed table. Her father followed soon after. The Gulic adults took their usual seats at the head of the rectangular table while Harry and Krys faced each other in between. Throughout dinner the young pair exchanged shy glances from time to time. The meal conversation was light, mostly Krys's parents asking Harry plenty of questions. Krys gritted her teeth while they interrogated him, knowing that they had caught on the obvious fact of her attraction to Harry. Harry surprised them all with his respectable and intelligent answers without a hint of his usual shyness.  
  
Although he didn't show it, Harry was plenty nervous with all of the questions intended for him. His feet were constantly shifting and digging into the carpet as an outlet for his uneasiness. But during one particularly difficult question, his foot nudged Krys's. She immediately looked up and blushed when she locked eyes with a rather embarrassed Harry. Krys bit the inside of her cheek and wondered if the English knew the American flirting game, "footsie". Now was a good a chance as ever to show Harry that she was attracted to him.  
  
Slipping a small smile to her lips, showing Harry of her acceptance of his forgiveness, she slid her small foot out of the straps of her sandals. Remembering reading something about flirting with men at dinner in a magazine, she slid her toes up to grace Harry's shin. Underneath her lashes she watched him jump slightly with the move and blushed wildly upon each cheek. She moved her foot slowly up and down against his firm shin while she maintained eye contact. Harry took a long gulp of breath but then, relaxed easily. His number one question had been answered. Krys's feelings were much that of his own on the subject of their attraction. The slight prickle of tension in the air between the teenagers turned to a spark at the moment they both realized one another's feelings. Both of them kept slipping little, secret smiles across the table as they enjoyed Mrs. Gulic's home cooking. Dinner seemed to drag on forever. Harry and Krys were dying to get each other alone to talk face to face again after such a long absence from each other. Dinner ended not soon enough and the pair politely carried their plates into the kitchen and placed them into the sink.  
  
Krys motioned to Harry to follow her upstairs so they could talk. Inside of the white paneled door was a quaint room, decorated to accommodate a growing teenager with a fluffy bed and a sitting area adjacent. To the other side was her large, wooden desk with her computer and a floor to ceiling bookshelf. Harry quietly admired the decorative surroundings; they were much more detailed than his hand-me-down bedroom. Meanwhile, Krys had settled herself down into a plush loveseat near the large window and was watching Harry curiously.  
  
"Your...room is very nice, Krys."  
  
"Thanks, I decorated it. Well...with a little help from my mom..." Krys smiled sheepishly. "It's kind of our hobby." Harry settled himself down beside Krys, closer than one would normally sit to another. The two of them smiled at each other.  
  
"Krys..."  
  
"Harry..." They spoke at the same time and then blushed followed by laughter from their embarrassment.  
  
"Krys... Thanks for inviting me tonight... I really like spending time with you."  
  
"I was glad to have you here, Harry..." There was a long pause as Harry shyly looked down at his hands, trying to gather the courage to speak the words that threatened to burst out all night.  
  
"Krys... I...I..." His eyes met hers slowly. "I really like you, Krys. I like...everything about you..."  
  
Krys blushed with Harry's flattering words and she shyly looked down to her lap. Harry placed his hand gently atop of Krys's which lay upon her skirted knee. She slowly raised her chin and locked gazes with the obviously embarrassed Harry. Her elegant fingers intertwined with his.  
  
"I like you too, Harry. A lot." Krys felt Harry's thumb softly caress the back of her hand with a few, light strokes. She smiled with the delicate touch that showed his affection. She caught his subtle smile as they sat there in silence for a long while just to be in each other's presence. Harry felt drawn to Krys at that very moment, feeling the delight that her company gave him.  
  
"Krys..." He whispered before a slight pause. "Can I kiss you...?"  
  
Krys's sparkling gray eyes regarded Harry with quiet awe and surprise with such a question. There was a long moment of silence between the two, but neither realized the distance between them grew smaller by the moment. They were drawn to each other, instant electricity between opposite worlds. It all disappeared in a matter of seconds as Krys's soft lips met Harry's in a gentle kiss filled with the powerful, pent-up emotion between the pair.  
  
Harry was quite shy at first, having only kissed one other girl, his crush, Cho Chang, at school. Bashful with his inexperience, he moved his mouth in a gentle caress across Krys's warm lips as his fingers tiptoed up her bare arm. His body moved with its own accord, wishing to pull the lovely girl against him to deepen their embrace. Krys felt his timid advance and slid into his strong, awaiting arms, now cradled by the body sculpted by the many hours of playing Quiddich.  
  
Their hands were still tightly intertwined when they slowly moved away from each other, soft exhalations of warm air united in the centimeters between them.  
  
"Wow..." Harry was still seeing stars from that intimate moment between them. Krys's laugh was breathless from their long kiss. Both of their blushes spread like wildfire across their smiling faces while Krys made another bold move and snuggled into his arms. Harry was frozen for a moment before he took in her action in the entirety. Grinning under his mussed hair, he encircled his arms around her as she leaned back upon his chest, resting her cheek upon his broad shoulder. He nuzzled his nose into her sweet-smelling hair and just took in the moment of...love.  
  
Harry's mind jolted. Love...? Could it be true? He grinned. Who really cared? He liked Krys, a lot. Shifting slightly, making himself more comfortable as he and Krys lounged back upon the loveseat's pillows.  
  
"I like this, Harry..." She murmured quietly, almost lazily, as if she felt at peace in his arms. "You're so comfy..." The soft vibrations from Harry beneath her shoulder, showed his mirth.  
  
"You aren't so bad yourself..."  
  
"Krys...! Harry!" The scolding voice of Mrs. Gulic sliced through the calm. The couple sprang to their feet, faces flushed with embarrassment.  
  
"Coming, Mom!" Krys looked at Harry with a fierce blush across the apples of her cheeks. "I guess I'll see you some other time..."  
  
Harry nodded, but then drew upon his strength and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss upon her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, no matter what." He smiled as his fingers touched her hand and he left, heading for Privet Drive. 


	6. Passing Notes

Krys drifted over to her bed dreamily and flopped back onto the soft mattress. She let out a long sigh of heavenly delight as she stared up at her white ceiling. The moment of their kiss had been absolutely wonderful. So...perfect. Taking her stereo remote off of her nightstand, she turned on some of her favorite tunes and bounced up off the bed and started to dance around, showing off her good mood. She giggled slightly, feeling silly, but she didn't know any other way in order for all of these feelings to come out.  
  
A sharp, rapid peck sent her failing back down to consciousness, literally. Krys tripped over her strewn sandals on her way to the window to meet Hedwig. Blushing furiously she quickly straightened herself out before pushing the rickety old window open. The beautiful snow owl hopped inside, looking rather delighted. She always seemed to enjoy herself while at Krys's, of course, she did spoil Hedwig rotten.  
  
Passing Hedwig a cookie in thanks, she opened the letter beneath the masculine, sprawling script.  
  
Krys,  
I still can't breathe when I think of you. I miss you already Krys. I can't wait to see you again.  
  
Dreaming of you,  
Harry  
  
Krys swooned at Harry's short attempt at a love letter. She grinned and pulled out some pretty paper to write down her reply.  
  
Harry,  
  
I'm sure you'll be allowed to come over tomorrow. My parents won't mind. Besides, I'm dying to see you again too!  
  
Wishing you were here,  
Krys  
  
Grinning, Krys sprayed a bit of her perfume onto the paper before handing it over to Hedwig, who took off with a hoot in goodbye. Feeling as if she had no bones in her body, she placed her chin into her hand as it was propped upon the desk. She just let out a squeal, the delight just almost overtaking her. From Harry's response, she knew for a fact that he was feeling the same way. Krys just wished that hours weren't so long when they were apart and weren't so short when they were together.  
  
Not too far away, Harry was still breathless, but not from running home to write to Krys. He couldn't stop grinning in wonderment. Harry had never felt this way after he had kissed Cho under the mistletoe. Krys made his heart thud with the single thought of her smile. He eagerly awaited Krys's reply, hoping she would let him know when they could see each other again.  
  
As dusk lost its battle to the night sky, Harry's nostrils flared slightly, catching the most delightful scent upon the air. It was nothing like the exotic perfumes of the herbs and spices at the potion shop in Diagon Alley. No, it was Krys's scent.  
  
"Hedwig!" Harry jumped from his bed and peered out the window just in time to see his lovely bird swoop into the yard. Landing atop of her perch inside her cage, she fluffed her feathers, feeling important with the large welcome from Harry. She tossed the letter to him before settling in for a nap. Harry's eyes rolled back under his lashes as he breathed in the perfume Krys had put onto the paper. He thought it was silly to be all mushy like this...but with Krys, he just couldn't help it. 


	7. Mugglesum Thoughts

The weeks of summer vacation almost flew by. Krys and Harry spent every sweltering day together in some way. Even during the nights they never stopped communicating. Hedwig was getting a bit riffed with all the extra work the couple made her do, but she still loved the attention and the joy on Harry and Krys's faces when they saw her return with yet another letter.  
  
By this time of the summer, Harry always got antsy. There was little under a month before he would be going back to Hogwarts. The same time last year he was ecstatic, but now...with something so wonderful so close to the Dursleys, it was going to be hard to be excited with his train ride to school. His heart wrenched with feeling in every which way. He wished he wasn't a wizard so he could go to muggle school with Krys; meanwhile he also wanted Krys to be a witch so they could go to Hogwarts together. But he knew that would never be possible. In being a wizard he could never tell a muggle that something like he and a whole other world exists behind the one that muggles can see.  
  
Although Harry remembered something that Seamus Finnegan said back in his first year at Hogwarts. "...Me dad's a muggle, mum's a witch. Bit of a nasty surprise when he found out..." When are wizards allowed to tell their spouse that they are what they are? Obviously they can without the Ministry of Magic interfering. Did they have to be married to be able to tell their beloved?  
  
Harry ran his fingers through his mussed hair with deep thought. Maybe that was the only way. He had to marry Krys in order to tell her. He shook his head violently at the thought. What was he thinking?!? He was in his last year at Hogwarts, barely able to marry a muggle girl. What would the wizarding society think of him then? He could literally have any girl he wanted just because of his established fame. But...there was just one thing. He didn't want any other girl. He wanted Krys.  
  
Laughing at the sheer oddity of his thoughts, Harry leaned back in his desk chair and rubbed his eyes with disbelief. He must have gone utterly mad. He only knew her for two months, how could he be so sure? The one thing that scared him the most was that he was sure, without a doubt. Groaning in utmost confusion and in thoughts in turmoil, he flopped on his bed, hoping that sleep would stop him from thinking. 


	8. Nitpicking

Krys was grinning from ear to ear as she read each tender word off of Harry's parchment. Of course there were his daily grudges about the Dursleys as well. But Krys loved all of it. She loved how Harry confided in her about everything. Well...almost everything. She chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated that thought. Harry always seemed to be hiding something, or not explaining things thoroughly. The one thing that boggled her mind the most was that he always avoided her questions about school. They were certainly innocent questions, which teachers were the nicest, which subjects where the most interesting, what's the best food in the cafeteria... No matter what it was, he always tiptoed around it quickly.  
  
She never dared ask Harry about his parents. Obviously she knew they died, since he lived with his horrid uncle, aunt, and cousin. Krys could tell that his parent's death was very painful for Harry to think, let alone talk about. So she never asked.  
  
"Why do I always nit-pick at a guy's faults every time I go out with one?" She yelled out her frustration to no one in particular. Her shout startled Hedwig from her little snooze atop Krys's four-poster bed and she gave out a disapproving hoot before resettling her feathers. Dropping her head into her small hands, Krys let out a large sigh before righting herself up again. Love...was a very complicated thing. But deep down she knew, no matter what, that she really loved Harry Potter.  
  
Ushering Hedwig down from her perch and onto her desk, Krys whispered very strict instructions to Hedwig with a grin before handing the lovely owl her letter for Harry.  
  
"Remember Hedwig, as soon as you get there." Krys gave the bird's breast a loving stroke before opening her window for the delivery. 


	9. Hedwig's Kiss

Soft, silky lips were gently kissing Harry's ear. He smiled slowly in delight from the ministrations. He leaded his head against the touches a bit more.  
  
"Mmm...Krys...that feels really good..." The lips were joined by a playfully nuzzling nose before a sharp bite slit into the skin of his ear.  
  
"Ow...!" Harry said bolt upright, grumbling after being disturbed from his wonderful dream. He rubbed his sore ear gingerly before looking down to see the small culprit. "Now what in the blazes was that for?" Hedwig flushed her feathers out in importance as if she was trying to say, 'I was supposed to do that.' Harry eyed his pet suspiciously as he took Krys's letter out from behind Hedwig's talons. His mood lightened considerably as he carefully opened the letter with much haste. Harry burst out laughing at the first line of Krys's letter.  
  
'...I hope you liked the kiss from me. Sorry that it had to be delivered by Hedwig. I know it's corny, but it's the only thing I can do from across streets...'  
  
Grinning in total amusement, Harry reached over and gave Hedwig a reassuring stroke upon her white feathers.  
  
"Sorry Hedwig, I didn't mean to yell at you." The bird just narrowed her beady, little eyes, not taking the apology seriously. Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh all right..." He crumbled up half his cookie that he had stashed for a snack after dinner. Hedwig took the crumbs with contentment.  
  
"Harry Potter!" A stocky voice rang up the stairwell, almost shaking Harry's hand-me-down room.  
  
"Great..." Harry mumbled as he dragged his feet to the top of the stairs. "Yes Uncle Vernon?" He answered in a dismal tone as always.  
  
"We are spending the weekend with Aunt Marge. Since you upset her so much, you're staying here. Petunia left you a few chores to do around the house while we're gone." That was it. He always spoke rather curtly to his nephew, direct and to the point. Harry knew that his chore list would have him busy 18 hours a day just to get it all done without having to hear them carry on when they returned to his unfinished jobs. At that moment, that was the least of his worries. He had the whole house to himself! He could visit Krys whenever he wanted! 


	10. Weekend Holiday

Harry escaped quickly from his Uncle's icy glare so that he wouldn't see his nephew's joy with the new information. His aunt and uncle did everything in their muggle power to make Harry's life like one spent in Azkaban prison. By now, Harry clearly understood how they ticked, and could trick them easily, even without using magic.  
  
Harry was in such a happy daze that he almost stumbled drunkenly up the green-carpeted staircase. He continued his loopy grin as he flopped onto his lumpy bed and stared at his ceiling. Hedwig hooted questionably at Harry's behavior, always curious as owls are.  
  
"A whole weekend alone..." Harry muttered, still in awe at his good fortune. Minutes flew on by as he mused over the entire situation and his wonderful predicament. Staring at the peeling paint upon the ceiling, he thought out each and every outcome of how he should plan these few days of freedom. He knew he wanted to spend as much as he could of that time with Krys. Even though he had quite a lengthy list of useless and random chores that he needed to complete before Sunday night.  
  
The heavy sound of clomping feet and closing doors alerted Harry out of his daydreams. Stealthily he peeked out of his bedroom door to see his Uncle wandering out the front door with a suitcase. Grinning, he closed his door once more and looked to Hedwig. The lovely bird fluttered anxiously in her iron cage.  
  
"It looks like I need to get started, Hedwig. If you help, I'll let you have the whole weekend to fly wherever you want." Harry grinned and watched his companion reluctantly hop from her perch inside of her cage. 


	11. Harry's Surprise

The doorbell rang with its pleasant chimes and Krys's ears perked at the sound. She was distracted from her current drawing of Hedwig in her sketchbook as she strained to hear who it was. She pouted dramatically at the lack of noise or the voice of her mother calling for her. Sighing, she turned back to the ivory page and the dark outlines of Hedwig's beautiful plume.  
  
Feet were coming up the stairs, fast. Curious, Krys looked up from her tablet once again to see the handsome figure of Harry Potter standing in her doorway.  
  
"Harry!" Krys grinned and leaped from her bed into Harry's strong arms.  
  
"Nice to see you too." Harry laughed a bit at her excited nature, but still couldn't stop from grinning. Krys easily caught on to his unnaturally good mood.  
  
"Harry...? What is it?"  
  
"You'll see. Come on, then!" Harry practically drug Krys out of her room and led her down the stairs and out the door almost before she could even shout to her mother that they were going to the park.  
  
The shy couple walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk towards the neighborhood park, their favorite place to be alone and talk without parents or guardians to overhear them. Their favorite attraction was the wooden bench swing that hung from a sturdy, ancient tree near the sandboxes in the shade.  
  
"Come on Harry, I'm dying to know about your good mood!" Krys pleaded with the young man beside her as the both got comfortable upon the wooden seat of the swing. Harry immediately settled in next to her, draping his arm around the back of her head upon the back-rest of the swing.  
  
"Alright alright, hang on a minute." Harry grinned, loving any moment that he could tease Krys. The strawberry-blonde girl snuggled right up next to him, demanding an answer. "I have a big surprise for you tonight."  
  
Krys's brow raised up in thick curiosity as her hand squeezed Harry's in suspense.  
  
"You'll see. But you have to do something in order to get it."  
  
"Anything!"  
  
Harry took in a deep breath, surprised at even his own cunning in the situation. "Tell your parents that you're spending the weekend with one of your friends. Pack up some stuff and I'll meet you here at 7 o'clock."  
  
Krys's brows rose ever higher as the ever-working gears of her mind tried to put the puzzle pieces together.  
  
"Just trust me, Krys. It will be fantastic." Harry gave that adorable wink that Krys could never refuse. She groaned a bit and gave in.  
  
"Seven o'clock it is then." 


	12. Park Rendevous

The afternoon seemed to drag on forever. Krys hated surprises for this reason only, the wait. She had packed and unpacked her weekend bag over and over again just to get her mind off of what Harry had in store for her. A surprise like this was quite unlike Harry. It seemed to be something really big and special.  
  
Situations raced through her head during the duration of the evening. What could Harry Potter have up his sleeve? Krys laughed a bit and knew that Harry was hiding more that she could imagine. Sighing, she plopped down onto her bed and fell back onto the summer comforter to stare at the spindles of her 4-poster bed. A familiar tapping sounded at her window and she looked up with a wide smile. Quickly ushering herself over to the rickety, old window she opened it so Hedwig could flutter inside.  
  
"What have you got for me now, Hedwig?"  
  
The owl fluffed her feathers, showing off her importance before handing a little bouquet of wildflowers and a small note to Krys.  
  
Krys,  
  
I'm sure the waiting is probably killing you, because it is to me! But trust me, it will be worth it. I just hope you enjoy yourself. I'm kind of worried you might not. I never did this before, so I'm not really sure how it works. We'll see,  
  
Missing you like always,  
Harry  
  
Swooning a bit from the simple gift, her mind swirled with even more questions about her surprise. Harry had her totally bewildered. She nervously picked at her fingernails as she bounced lightly upon her fluffy bed. It was only six o'clock... When would seven ever come? Tapping her feet on the floor she hummed a random song to an unknown beat, begging the numbers on her digital clock to change faster.  
  
Trying to break up the time in wait, Krys had buried her nose between the bindings and turned another page in her book, it only had half her interest at the moment, but it kept her mind off the time. Hedwig had fluttered off not too long ago after her short nap upon the back of Krys's desk chair. She loved the bird and constantly wondered how Harry was able to come about having an owl as a pet, knowing the Dursley's didn't have any others in their household.  
  
The alarm went off on Krys's bedside clock and she sat straight up with the nasty blaring, electronic sound. Letting go of her breath, she realized that she had set it so she would leave without looking at the clock every two minutes. Quickly slapping her hand down upon the off button, Krys rose from her bed and shouldered her small duffel. She took one long look around her room, making sure she wouldn't forget anything. After calling to her mother to tell her of her departure, she closed the door and stepped onto the front stoop of her house.  
  
Krys walked rather quickly back to the park, her footsteps walking to the beat of her thudding heart. She had absolutely been dying to know what Harry had in store for her. The suspense was just about to make her explode! Readjusting the strap on her pack, she sat down on the bench swing which was the decided rendezvous point. A sigh escaped from behind her flittering heart.  
  
Krys absentmindedly swung on the swing. A sharp crack broke the subtle squeak of the chain as three forms appeared upon the park's rich greenery.  
Krys almost jumped clear out of her skin at the violating sound. Her gray eyes scanned the sky, expecting to see menacing dark clouds. Bewildered at the blue sky and sound of thunder, she stilled her swing. Her anxiety was answered only a few moments later. Footsteps scuffed into the thick grass behind her and she looked over her shoulder, not being able to hide her grin. The grin quickly faded as a shadow crossed Krys's face. . . 


	13. Slytherin Slime

Harry couldn't help how fast his feet raced towards the park. It would only be a matter of moments before he could be with Krys for hours on end! Running his fingers nervously through his hair he rounded the gate and moved his emerald eyes towards the shade of the large oak tree. His heart stopped and jumped clear into his throat when his eyes laid to rest upon a horrible sight. He felt each muscle freeze on contact before his blood boiled over as he raced to his love's rescue.  
  
"Harry...!" Krys's strangled cry came from somewhere behind a trio of darkly- cloaked, hunched figures.  
  
Harry involuntarily whipped out his wand from a side pocket on his jeans as he sprinted to the rescue. The intruders seemed to perk with interest at the mention of Harry's name. Harry gritted his teeth in anger and advanced towards the group aiming his wand menacingly at the intruders. While barking orders to the other two, one of the kidnappers turned towards Harry, the true target of this attack, and a wand appeared within its darkly gloved hand.  
  
"Saint Potter," scowled the lone figure as he stalked towards Harry, "I knew you'd come to save the day, as always."  
  
"Malfoy," Harry uttered, knowing only one person who had granted him that nickname. The white-blond, devilishly handsome face of Draco Malfoy, Harry's enemy from school, appeared to the evening light from under his hood. "You know this is illegal! The Ministry of Magic would..."  
  
"Shut up, Potter. It's not like you never bent the rules a bit..." Malfoy turned his ice blue eyes over his shoulder to glance at the terrified Krys who seemed to be giving the other two figures some trouble keeping her attached to the spare broomstick. "Crabbe, Goyle, hurry up a bit!"  
  
While Malfoy was distracted, Harry tried to spring to Krys's rescue but was quickly blocked by the opposing wizard. Malfoy had planted the tip of his wand right between Harry's green eyes. "I don't think so, Potter. Your business is with me."  
  
"Don't you dare lay a hand on her, Malfoy," Harry shook with anger as his fingers curled tightly around the handle of his wand, feeling as if he could splinter it into a thousand pieces. "Or I'll break every limb in your body with my bare hands..."  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Ooo...handing out threats now are you? Tsk, tsk, Potter. You know better than that." He taunted, circling around Harry as a predator would before pouncing upon its prey. He moved close to Krys's side and hungrily gave her a lengthy once-over. "You see...I've taken quite a liking to Krystina..."  
  
Harry absolutely fumed. His fingernails sliced into the sensitive skin of his palm, but his body had gone numb. The phoenix-feather wand in hand shook from the overwhelming that throbbed in his veins. "You wouldn't dare..."  
  
Smiling lustily, Malfoy ran his fingers up Krys's arm and caressed her cheek, as if he owned her. "Sad really. That she is a muggle and all... But I'm surprised at your good taste in women, Potter."  
  
A sharp ting hit the air making way for what seemed like a sonic boom. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were projected in random directions around the park grounds and fell to the ground in lumpy heaps. That moment stood still for Harry and seemed like a lifetime. He had felt such a force course through him that he dropped to his knees. It had felt as if he had fallen 50 feet and had the wind knocked out of him.  
  
Gasping for breath, Harry brought himself to his feet and stumbled over to Krys who had passed out when the Slytherin trio had become airborne. Gingerly taking her limp body into his arms, he waved his wand and said an incantation which freed Krys from her bindings. He didn't care that he was going to leave a magical mess behind, the Ministry of Magic officials would take care of it. There was only one think on Harry's mind at the moment. Fighting back tears, he cradled her lovingly within his strong arms and headed for number four Privet Drive. 


End file.
